Discover Brücktal

Brücktal is shaped by three waterways: the Nitzbach, Welcheratherbach and Winsenbach flow through the village. A former bridge gave it its earlier name, Brück. Together with the Stumpfarmweg and the church on Kapellenweg, they form a local focus on landscape, hiking and architectural history. When choosing a destination, you can compare these local interests with the regional range of themes offered by the Volcanic Eifel.

Local history on Kapellenweg

The Catholic branch church on Kapellenweg is a two-bay hall dating to 1733. Beside the church stands a basalt shaft cross, also dated to 1733 and listed as a protected monument. Local history is reflected not only in the origin of the name, but also in a religious building and a freestanding stone monument. Anyone interested in Brücktal’s history will find two distinct features from the same period here.

The Stumpfarmweg to Brücktal

The Stumpfarmweg is a circular trail that starts and ends in Boos. It is about 15 kilometres long; one distance listing gives 14.6 kilometres. The hike is considered moderately difficult and has 264 metres of ascent and descent. The trail follows the Nitz to Brücktal and passes through the districts of Boos, Kirsbach, Brücktal and Arbach. This lets you take the distance, difficulty, elevation gain and route into account when planning your own hike.

An information board and information pillars along the trail present the Stumpfarm story in chronological order. The interpretation of the trail may be updated by the tourism provider. Signage is incomplete in some sections. Therefore, download the GPX track and map in advance and check the route page before setting out, as trail details may change.

Geology and hiking trails in the Volcanic Eifel

So far, 77 maars have been identified in the Volcanic Eifel. In addition, 350 eruption centres have been counted there, about 270 of them from the more recent phase. Maars form when rising magma encounters water-bearing rock layers and triggers violent explosions. The Ulmener Maar marks the most recent volcanic eruption in the Volcanic Eifel, which took place around 10,900 years ago. The Gemündener Maar has a water surface of about seven hectares and is the smallest of the three famous “Eyes of the Eifel.”

The Volcanic Eifel trails lead to scenic highlights on both sides of the Eifelsteig. They are marked and signposted; the routes range from half-day and full-day hikes to multi-day treks. For cyclists, routes in the Volcanic Eifel lead to geological sites. The Trailpark Vulkaneifel has a mountain bike trail network of about 750 kilometres with more than 17,500 metres of elevation gain. As a regional link, the German Volcano Route connects the Volcanic Eifel with the volcanic East Eifel around Lake Laach.

Museums as a regional theme

The museums of the Volcanic Eifel also explore a range of themes. The Eifel Volcano Museum in Daun displays three-dimensional landscape models of cinder cones, maars and mineral springs, as well as exhibits on West Eifel volcanism. The Volcano House in Strohn is an interactive museum featuring a lava fissure wall about 30,000 years old, around six metres long and four metres high. These regional examples complement the local history and the Stumpfarmweg with a distinct perspective on volcanism and the history of the Earth.

Discover more destinations: Hörschhausen, Sassen, Retterath, Nitz, Gunderath, Mosbruch, Mannebach, Bereborn.

Return to the main travel overview: Kelberg.